Providing travel joys for mature adventurers

Oceanside's Sandi Barnes has one of the best jobs at the city's
Senior Center -- arranging junkets for folks who love to travel,
but want it in an escorted fashion.

Sandi, who is director of travel for the center's Happy
Wanderers, says the center has a number of destinations coming up,
some far, some near and a few really close-by, but all should be
fun. One of those close-by destinations is just 20 miles to the
east: a luncheon and stage presentation for the hit musical
"Forever Plaid" at the Lawrence Welk Resort.

"We have just 15 tickets left on this one ('Plaid')," Sandi told
me. "The package included bus transportation, a buffet luncheon and
the special matinee performance at the Welk Theatre."

Cost: $48 per person. Call (760) 435-1635.

CHEST OUT -- Old friend and fellow scribe Roger Conlee of San
Diego tells me his new historical novel, "Every Shape, Every
Shadow," is out on the bookshelf. Roger's tome deals with the World
War II Guadalcanal campaign, so I know there are a lot of old
Marines out there in readerland who'll want to read it. Published
by Pale Horse Books of Viriginia, "Every Shape" sells for $13.95
and is available at the Book Works/Pannikin in the Flower Hill Mall
in Del Mar, plus online at Amazon.com. Check out Roger's Web site
at: rogerconlee.com. Congrats, ol' buddy.

WELCOME HOME -- Vista's Rancho Buena Vista High School is
preparing to welcome home one of its most successful graduates:
Dave Roberts, (class of '90) who is the new center-fielder for the
San Diego Padres. Dave, who was a member of the World Champion
Boston Red Sox until a few days ago, will be feted by the RBVHS
Longhorn Foundation for a "meet-and-greet" dinner. "An Evening with
Dave Roberts" will be a dinner fund-raiser for RBVHS' baseball
program, complete with a silent auction of World Series memorabilia
beginning at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Vista Optimist Club in
Shadowridge. Cost: $75 per person. Reservations by Jan. 10. Call
(760) 727-7284, Ext. 3988.

LAST WORD -- This last holiday weekend, a number of movies beat
out the Howard Hughes biopic, "The Aviator," for top grossing
movies honors, but nothing in my recent memory has been put on the
screen to equal this new Martin Scorsese flick. It's one of the
best pictures of the year and sure to garner Oscars for the
director as well as stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role and
Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn. Any impression you already
have of DiCaprio acting abilities will be erased after you see this
one. He'll make you believe he is, indeed, Howard Hughes,
especially when he does battle with a U.S. Senate committee.
Scorsese has the "Spruce Goose" flying higher than reality, but
what a magnificent scene. A must-see for history, movie and
aviation buffs.

Notes for Tom Morrow can be sent to
tmorrow@nctimes.com
, faxed to
(760) 757-2072, or call (760) 901-4074. Find his previous columns
on the Internet at www.nctimes.com.